Boundary surveying refers to a type of land survey where exact land property line measurements and locations are determined to serve as a legal basis for marking boundaries or the limits of a parcel of land.
Title documents and property deeds are not enough to prove your right to sell or use a land area. These deeds should be supported by a boundary survey made of the property which will indicate distances and monuments, and other particular details to properly and legally declare ownership.
You may need to have a boundary survey done to your property if you are about to:
1. Buy or sell a parcel of land.
2. Subdivide the property for residential or commercial allotment.
3. Construct any type of physical structures (buildings, house, etc).
4. Fence off your property to avoid encroachment by others.
5. Mortgage your property to a lending institution.
An accurate boundary survey is essential prior to commencing any of these activities. It will help prevent lots of problems regarding the use of your land. Frustrations over impending lawsuits are minimized and changes in construction plans are avoided.
The legal system bases sound judgement over arguments involving land ownership to the data and reports generated through a boundary survey. Hence, disputes over land ownership and division of properties can be resolved by a thorough survey made by a licensed land surveyor. After a thorough inspection of the land area in question, delineation of property boundaries can be completed.
Other occasions wherein a boundary survey is needed includes determination whether your property lies on a floodplain, identification of encroachments of structures whether to your property or towards your neighbor’s, and to precisely construct buildings on your lot without affecting any of the easement lines like drainage pipes and the like.
Cost of a boundary survey will depend on many factors. It is usually determined after an initial inspection had been started wherein details of all work needed to be done is already established and documents like deeds and prior surveys have been gathered. Land features such as size, terrain, vegetation type, etc. are also studied to determine how much the owner should be charged for the services to be rendered by the surveyor.
A standard boundary survey result should include:
1. Monumenting or marking of property corners by using marked trees, iron pipes, wooden posts, or flags.
2. A written, detailed description of the property including measurements of buildings, distances, and presence of water pipes, drainage systems, power lines, etc.
3. An accurate map or a plan of the property.
4. A written report of the analysis methods used to determine the boundaries.
In some cases, these reports are recorded at the Registry of Deeds to conform to the State standards regarding the provision of a permanent and truthful record of a boundary survey done at your property. This will be your reference and insurance against unlawful claims and disputes should there be any in the future.